Load carrying machines, including trucks, wheel loaders and the like, are commonly employed during construction and excavation for transporting loads from one point to another. These load carrying machines may comprise a body for holding and transporting material, often known as a dump body, which can be raised relative to a chassis of a machine and tipped about a pivot point to empty any material held therein as a means for dispersing the material. The body may be controlled to move between a fully raised position and a fully lowered position resting upon the chassis. In addition, the one or more actuators used to raise and lower the body may be operated to implement a float operation in which the body is lowered under its own weight from a position proximate to the fully lowered position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,731,787 (“the '787 patent”), entitled “Transporter Vehicle,” is directed toward a dump truck that includes a vessel mounted on a vehicle body to tilt about a pin functioning as a fulcrum. The dump truck described in the '787 patent includes a hoist cylinder that expands and contracts according to a supply of pressurized fluid to tilt the vessel, and a control valve device that controls the supply of pressurized fluid to and from the hoist cylinder. As described in '787 patent, an operating device for switching operations of the control valve device includes an operating lever that may be manually tilted between separate and distinct retaining, raising, floating, and lowering positions corresponding to respective switching positions of the control valve device.
Alternatively, a load carrying machine may comprise an ejector positioned in a body that holds material. The ejector may be controlled by one or more actuators to move to a fully ejected position at a rear of the body, in order to eject/disperse material from the body. The ejector may be subsequently controlled to move to a fully retracted position in which the ejector is returned to a front of the body.
A body that is raised and lowered to disperse material from a load carrying machine may have 4 operations (Lower, Float, Hold, Raise). An ejector that moves within a body to disperse material from a load carrying machine may have 3 operations (Retract, Hold, Eject), which may be selectable by an operator in a similar manner as 3 operations (Lower, Hold, and Raise) of the body. However, control instruments usable by an operator to control a position of the body may be different from control instruments for the ejector, on account of a need for a separate selectable lever position or button corresponding to the float operation of the body. Thus, there is a need for improved common control instruments that may be installed in different load carrying machines incorporating different devices for dispersing material. In addition, there is a need for an improved system for configuring the common control instruments to adapt and be utilized to fully operate the different types of devices for dispersing material.